2025 G5 QB Scouting Reports: Dequan Finn - Miami (OH)

Dequan Finn, now a seventh-year senior, began his college career at Toledo in 2019. After playing sparingly during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Finn started to make a name for himself in 2021, his first season as the full-time starter, when he scored 27 total touchdowns. Over the rest of his time as a Rocket, Finn appeared in 45 games and went on to throw for 7,074 yards and 63 touchdowns, while also adding 1,840 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground.

Finn’s production earned him Second-Team All-MAC honors in 2022, First-Team All-MAC in 2023, and the Vern Smith Leadership Award—given to the MAC’s most valuable player—in 2023. Following his prolific tenure at Toledo, Finn transferred to Baylor, where he played in three games, starting two, before sitting out the remainder of the season to preserve his eligibility.

With the 2025 season on the horizon, it’s safe to assume that many around the MAC are dreading the return of one of the best players in the conference’s history, as he joins forces with Head Coach Chuck Martin and the Miami RedHawks.

Height: 6’2
Weight: 201
Class: 6th year
Hometown: Detroit, MI
High School / Previous School: Martin Luther King HS / Toledo / Baylor

Notable Stats & Accolades:
Career Stats (Toledo & Baylor): 562/938 (60%) | 7,377 yards | 66 TDs / 25 INTs | 1,902 yards rushing, 27 TDs

Vern Smith Leadership winner (2023)

First-team All-MAC (2023)

Second-team All-MAC (2022)

Only quarterback in Toledo history to throw for 2,000+ yards and rush for 500+ yards in multiple seasons (2021, 2022, 2023)

MORE: 2025 G5 QB Scouting Reports: Byrum Brown- South Florida Bulls

SPEED

On film, one quality that immediately shines in Finn’s game is his pure speed. Finn has the ability to separate from pursuing defenders—whether he’s escaping the pocket or once he's in the open field. As a runner, it’s the trait that forms the foundation of his success and makes him such a threat in the designed quarterback run game.

During his time at Toledo, Finn was a nightmare to defend on speed option and zone read plays—but especially on designed quarterback draw plays, where he gained easy access to the open field behind caravans of lead blockers. An example of this can be seen at the :27 mark in the video linked below, where Toledo calls a quarterback draw. Once Finn hits the top of his drop, he plants his foot and follows a lead block executed by his running back. After reading the block appropriately, Finn pivots and bursts into the open field, going untouched en route to a 70-yard touchdown run.

As a passer, Finn’s speed allows him to remain dangerous once a play breaks down, buying himself time and space to remain a passer for as long as possible—in a way few others can do. Against Ohio State in 2022, at the 5:35 mark below, Toledo’s offensive line busts a protection and allows a pass rusher to come free on a standard four-man rush. Immediately, Finn reacts, reversing out to his left and escaping the defender with relative ease. He keeps his eyes downfield and delivers a 40-yard touchdown pass on the run—a play made possible by Finn’s rare ability to quickly separate from pressure using his speed.

OFF PLATFORM & ON THE RUN PASSING

As a passer, Finn can do it all in the sense that he can deliver from the pocket with a strong, comfortable platform, while also being just as effective on the run or in off-platform situations. Once the pocket breaks down and Finn creates enough time and space for himself to release the ball, his ability to fire without a clean platform makes all the difference in completing a pass on time—rather than having to fully reset to do so.

At the 9:45 mark in the video below, the Illinois defensive line gets immediate penetration with a three-man rush, causing Finn to begin his escape by stepping up and through the pressure. As he gets into space, he identifies a viable target and immediately releases the ball for a touchdown. When the throw is made, Finn is clearly off-platform, yet delivers the ball as if he were in a clean pocket. This ability makes all the difference in the play’s outcome. If Finn didn’t have this in his arsenal, a play like this might not have been possible—his ability to execute with speed and efficiency, even when the defense creates less-than-ideal circumstances, adds a whole other dimension to the offense.

Along with being able to throw off-platform, Finn has a natural ability to throw to all areas of the field on the run with ease. We see this on display back when he was with Toledo and they faced Ohio State in 2022. At the 5:07 mark in the video below, Finn steps up and out of the pocket after feeling pressure from his right. Once he identifies his target downfield, Finn launches the ball for a 50-yard touchdown while fully on the run—a testament to his arm strength, athleticism, and natural passing ability.

DOWNFIELD PASSING

Consistently on tape, Finn has shown that he can drive the ball downfield. Whether from the pocket or on the run, he has the ability to complete passes accurately over the top, ranging from 20 to 50+ yards.

At the 12:41 mark in the video below, NIU is in an off-man coverage look. At the bottom of the screen, Toledo has its receivers in a “stack” formation, where one receiver lines up directly behind the other, off the ball. This is a great tactic versus man coverage, as it confuses the two defenders over the two receivers, requiring them to identify who their man is on the fly after the snap.

The purpose of the stack formation works, as the corner playing up on the line of scrimmage initially goes with the receiver directly in front of him, then quickly realizes his man is the other receiver. By that time, his man already has a step on him. However, the off-man coverage look requires Finn to confirm it’s man coverage post-snap, since the other defender over his receivers was 10 yards off the ball.

Once he confirms that the other defender is also in man coverage, he immediately lets it fly and completes the pass for about a 45+ yard gain. Finn releases the ball from his own 1-yard line, and the ball ends up landing on the opposite 45-yard line—having traveled over 50 yards and hitting his receiver perfectly in stride.